Census 2020 will move forward with no citizenship question

July 2nd, 2019

For more than a year, we have been
speaking with communities, partners and allies across the state about Census
2020. In no uncertain terms, they have shared their fears of participation in a
census with a citizenship question, the inclusion of which was intended to
terrorize, undercount, underrepresent and underfund Latinx and other immigrant
communities and people of color.

We are thrilled with today’s announcement
that the 2020 census will be printed without the citizenship question, because
it will ensure all Californians feel safer as they participate in this
important civic ritual of affirmation.

There is still much we must do together to
ensure a fair and complete count of all California residents. At stake is not
only political power and funding for vital community supports ranging from
education to infrastructure, but our identity as a nation. When we deny
someone’s place in our present, we deny their place in our history and in our
future. We tell them something important about who we are and what we value.

Today’s decision tells a different story:
it is a win for inclusion, an invitation for everyone to be heard and to know
that their contributions make their communities - and our state - a better
place.